What Hurts The Most
by SenseiMalice
Summary: Desitny Islands was strictly for the rich and beautiful. Both Roxas and Axel fit that requirement. But Axel has a complicated past. And Roxas has a complicated present. Put them together and you get one complicated future. AkuRoku, Zemyx, SoRiku.


**Full Summary: In the lives of the rich and the beautiful, Axel is far from fitting in, whose original life was filled with family issues and abuse. But in this new world, he meets Roxas, the boy who has it all. Or so people think. When not-so-opposite worlds collide, it's like playing with fire – hot, dangerous, and can burn you for life.**

**Pairings: AkuRoku, mainly, with plenty of Zemyx and doses of SoRiku.**

**Hey, how's it going? This is another fanfic I'm staring while working on so many others. Haha, gotta love multitasking. Anyway, this story is loosely based on my favorite show, **_**The O.C. **_**God, watching that show made me cry. ): And seeing it end made me bawl. Hah, anyway, I'll keep this Author's Note quick and painless so you can get right into reading.**

**P.S. The title, **_**What Hurts The Most**_**, is so cliché. But you'll see how it fits in. Trust me. You will.**

**Disclaimer: Disclaimed'd. (:**

I took the packaging knife and pierced it through the thick band of tape, then ran it along the crease. Tossing the knife carelessly on the floor, I opened up the box and fished through its contents. All that was in it was a bundle of clothes and a scented candle – apple and cinnamon. I took the candle out and put it on my dresser before unfolding the wrinkling clothes and laying them flat on the mattress resting on my bed frame. The setting sun was peering through the open balcony doors, also letting in a gust of sea-salty air. I only had a total number of two small boxes that contained _my _stuff and _my _stuff only when they were recovered from the accident; the rest were boxes filled with books and decorations and posters that Aerith and Zack assumed I wanted.

I heard a light, awkward tap on my door. By the hesitation on the three raps, I knew it was Demyx. "Knock, knock." As much as I tried, I couldn't grasp the idea that that voice was my new brother's voice. Unlike Reno, my real brother, it wasn't deep and cocky and mischievous, but more nasal and childish with a bubbly tone to it. Frankly, I liked Demyx's voice better.

"Hey," I looked up, distracted. "What's up, man?"

Demyx walked slowly into my room, running his slender fingers along the surface of the cardboard boxes. He looked up, his aqua blue eyes sparkling with the golden light shining through the glass windows. "Nothing. Just seeing how you were doing."

"Just unpacking and getting settled. I don't have much, but it'll do." I answered, fishing out a few books hidden underneath another bundle of clothes. I glanced at the book titles: _Fahrenheit 451 _by Ray Bradbury, _The Picture of Dorian Gray _by Oscar Wilde, _I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings _by Maya Angelou, _Kindred _by Octavia E. Butler, and a stack full of other old books I've grown to love.

I tossed the books aside and looked in the box farther, only to find a couple pairs of socks, a pair of jeans, and a left shoe that was a few sizes smaller than my gargantuan feet. Demyx twiddled his thumbs for a minute, before peering in the box I was elbows-deep in. "Here, let me help."

We dug in silence for a few more minutes, coming up with a few issues of a Japanese anime comic series – _manga _is it? – and an old piano book that I stole from the library when I had a dream to become a rock star. Yes, I attempted using classical piano to achieve a rock star image. Ever since I realized that wouldn't work out, I tossed aside the book. And my dream. Demyx, however, picked up the book and flipped through the aging pages. "Classical piano, level three?" He asked, mystified by something apparently impressive, "You play?"

"No. It was just something I stol-" I stopped myself, mid-word, before revealing a very bad self image. Since Demyx and I never really talked before, there was still a lot to learn about each other. He at least knew about my old home life and the criminals my family were. But didn't want him to think that was me. "-I mean, it's just something I found and never really kept interest in."

"Are you kidding!" He suddenly burst, excitement oozing from his million-dollar smile. "Kingdom Hearts Symphony Hall actually wrote and published each one of these songs – not just a compilation of different songs bound in one book! These are impossible to find! You lucky bastard!"

I blinked at his instant background knowledge. So the kid liked music. Who knew? "Uhm," I started, watching his overly jubilant face. "You can have if you want…"

His eyes managed to get that extra millimeter wider to the point where it scared me. I could see the jaw muscles on his face tense, like he was gritting his teeth while giving me a full-mouth, excited smile. "Are you _serious!_"

"Yeah, totally. It's not like I want it; I forgot I even had it." I waved my hand feeling a sliver of generosity in my chest.

"_!_" He screeched loudly in my ear as he pulled me into a tight hug. "_Youdon'!_" Before I could respond, he shot up and darted out of my room, the patter of his feet heavy and loud on top of the hardwood floor.

My laugh was light under my breath. "I like him." I continued unpacking my boxes in a chilly silence, eventually getting up to stack the books on one of the many bookshelves. They were all still covered in ash and rubble, but I dusted them off. I picked up the final book in the stack, _I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings_, and reached down to put it in the last slot available on the first bookshelf. Somehow, the book slipped my grip and fell against the ground with athud. I picked up the book from the spine, lifted it up, and a small piece of paper fell out. I could tell just by looking at it that it was not a piece of paper, but a picture, whose left side of the picture was singed to a crisp.

I recognized the very thin woman focused in the picture instantly, with her long, blood-red curly hair that frizzed horribly. Her eyes looked lifeless and dead behind that unique shade of emerald. Despite her eyes saying they were tired and sad, her rosy lips were shaped into an easy smile as they held a lit cigarette. This woman looked to be around twenty. At twenty, the life was already sucked out of her. It was a nauseating thought. Beside her was a small child, around the age of three. His dimples were light in his tan face and his mouthwatering jade eyes were bright and seemed to illuminate with curiosity all on their own. His smile was filled with teeth already and much like his eyes, the whiteness seemed to glow on its own. The tufts of long, blood-red spikes shot out of is head, reaching down to his shoulders.

While the woman was dressed in gray sweatpants – complimenting the also gray, tacky sofa they were sitting on – and a yellow shirt that was anything but flattering, the boy was in a pair of denim shorts and a red shirt that said **Hot Stuff **in thick, black lettering. You could tell without even trying that this was a young mother and her son; the similarities too alarming to miss. My throat clenched and I could feel the blood boil to a painful temperature under my skin that felt like a million needles were piercing.

_The heavy weight above me was crushing my pelvis. I could feel the skinny, brittle bones chip in my body away a little bit at a time. Fat, meaty hands made contact with my hollow face, each blow setting my weak face ablaze. The blood seeping from cuts ran down my face, mixing in with the salty tears running from my eyes. There was no point in fighting back: my vision was paralyzed, the merciless pounding to my face rendered me unconscious, but I could feel each jab, each punch. The contents in my stomach were being knocked up my throat, into my mouth, and dripping down my near-dead face. My eyes opened after God-knows-how-long, the skin on my bones were tender, the bones in my body were stiff and ready to snap in half, and the body I had was finally clotting the cuts and scratches. _

"_You useless son-of-a-bitch! Get the fuck out of here! It's only-" A hiccup "-a matter of time before you end up in jail with your father! And your brother!"_

"_B-But Mom… Where am I supposed to go?"_

The pain tingled on every inch of my cold skin. The pain was so real, so familiar, that I was amazed I was gone from it for good. I felt my heart stop as I heard that cracking, angry, drunken voice ring in my years. The second voice – so familiar, so hurt – was impossible to grasp and process. Each moment, all folding seamlessly into one another, was replaying in a loop. The horrific images were all too real and flickering behind my closed eyelids. The walls spun around me as I smelled fire. Lots of fire.

"_The house burned down about twenty minutes ago. A neighbor called nine-one-one about forty minutes ago, and we finally managed to put out the flames. Everything we could salvage was placed in these boxes. We didn't find any bodies, but we are still searching."_

"_Oh, no… Mom… __**Mom! **__I'm so, so, soooo sorry Mom!"_

The first voice was monotone, very linear and exact. No room for emotion. It was his job to report the permitted facts and nothing else. The second voice compensated for the first, completely shattered and guilty. The voice hit a scary octave before bursting into sobs. The voices in my head were all too real, each reaching shocking decibel. I was amazed that the glass windows didn't shatter under the traumatic stress from the sound waves.

And then I felt the breeze, carrying sea-salt and sunshine. I was flashed back in my room, sweating and breathing way too hard. Although the wind was soft and relaxing, it caressed my skin, leaving mountains of excruciating goosebumps and riled-up emotions. "God, it's cold in here." I muttered, turning on my heel to shut the balcony doors.

As soon as my heavy, masculine hand touched the antique-looking brass knob, I heard the wind carry the sound of a guitar chord, followed by a soft humming – a _guy's _humming. The humming grew stronger into 'oooohhh's' and a voice formed, though I couldn't make out words. The voice was so enticing, so inviting, that it only sounded pure enough to belong to the finest, most beautiful siren. Instead of shutting the door and continuing on with my mind-numbing unpacking of a life I hoped to forget, I stepped fully onto the cobblestone balcony which was surrounded by bold flowers, all in magical shades of every color in the rainbow.

I blindly followed the louder chord changes, fully hypnotized by the smooth sound drifting with the sun-kissed breeze. Although I couldn't find the source of the music, I could clearly hear the words. In front of me, the wide blue ocean went on for eternity, sparkling in the setting sun. My new house was the highest on the hillside, towering over the cliffs and other houses. Palm trees encased each house, separating me from the equally fine house beside mine. The peaceful voice fit in so well with the serene surroundings.

The voice was gentle, very haunted, but had an empowering quiver to each syllable. _"You heard there was a secret chord… That David played and he pleased the Lord…" _The voice paused and strummed the same few chords again, alternating them slightly, but changing back to the original. His voice quivered with his music, repeating the same lyrics, almost in a begging fashion. _"But you don't really care for music, do you?" _As I waited for the singer to continue, I pulled my knees to my chest and leaned my head back against the wall of the balcony. Even from here, I could hear water crashing against the cliffs and sand down by the beach. _"It goes like this… The fourth the fifth…" _His voice rose in volume and power, trembling slightly. _"The minor fall and the major lift…" _My own heart lurched at this singer's pain – a song as sad as this was and a voice as hurt as his was too much to be fabricated. Finally, in a climaxing voice, he beautifully wailed out in what was sure to be a teary voice. _"The baffled king composing hallelujah…" _In a much softer, more peaceful voice, he closed. Each word was as vast and different as the next, each portraying a certain degree of hurt. _"Hallelujah… Hallelujah… Hallelujah… Hallelujah…"_

My eyes closed as I waited for more, but none came. I heard light steps and then the open and shut of a door. That voice was gone. Much to my own surprise, the balcony door only inches from me opened. Zack – it was weird to think of him as my uncle – poked his head through and locked his dark eyes with mine. I smiled weakly at him, then stood up. Even though I was at six-foot-one, Zack was capable to tower over me. The lean muscles in my arms – which I took strong pride in – were nothing compared to his effortlessly sculpted body. Even through his casual jeans and old sweater, he still managed to show off his many different toned muscles. "I thought I'd see you out here." He greeted with a smile.

"Hey, no… I was, uh, just taking a break." He laughed at my 'excuse' then placed his heavy palm on my shoulder.

"We're glad to have you in the family," Zack smiled fondly at me and I only swallowed hard, not sure what to say. "Anyway, Aerith and I are going down to a friend's for a bit. Demyx ordered pizza and there's more than enough food in the house, so go nuts." He smiled a very handsome, charming smile at me. His black hair spiked in a similar fashion as mine, but he pulled his in a low, messy ponytail.

"Friend's?" I asked clueless, my stomach and the rest of me melting at the mention of hot, gooey pizza.

"Oh, what?" Zack said, turning back around to face me. He picked up on what I said and laughed. "Yes, just because Aerith and I are old, doesn't mean we can't have friends." The truth was, they weren't old. They were actually a fairly young and attractive couple.

"Oh," I scratched the back of my head, embarrassed. "Hah. Sorry."

"It's okay," He flashed another wide grin. Now I knew where Demyx got it. "It'll take some time getting used to me. Demyx took three years!" I smiled at that and he nodded, turning to leave. As soon as I heard my bedroom door shut, I strained to hear that voice again. Minutes passed and I heard nothing. So instead of spending all night waiting for something that wasn't coming, I turned to go inside.

Demyx was planted in the den area, tucked away behind the traditional, yet advanced, kitchen. While the kitchen and informal dining room was based on white, sea-foam green, and a light wooden color, the den was more blue and calm, like the ocean. Demyx was sitting on a long, white couch opposite of an enormous flat screen TV, images of a reality show reeling on it. He looked up from the piano book I gave him and recapped a yellow highlighter. "Hey."

"Hey," I payed more attention to the TV beside me. "Whatcha watching?"

He looked at the screen, then back at me. "Oh, I _was _watching a music special on one of my favorite bands, but now it's whatever this is."

"Sounds cool," I said, plopping down beside him. "What's your favorite band?"

"Led Zeppelin, by far. I have many favorite bands, but this one caught my attention since birth. Hah, I change my favorite band, like, every week." He smiled wide and I smiled back, picking up the remote. As I scrolled through channels, Demyx stretched back into a laying position, uncapping the highlighter and studying the music again.

Through the corner of my eye, I noticed all the features and attributes that made him _Demyx._ First off was his hair. It was in a long, shaggy mullet that stretched down his neck. The top part of his hair was styled into a messy Mohawk, with strands falling down over his face. While this hair seemed to need gel or hairspray, his sandy blond hair was unsoiled and completely natural. This seventeen-year-old teenager looked to be about twelve the way he dressed: a green t-shirt with a video game pun across the chest, jeans that were ripped up slightly and were slid down his waist enough to reveal a red pair of plaid boxers, and on his feet were white tube socks with a small hole in the right foot. This was a predictable outfit for someone like Demyx. He was creative, for one, and funny (only if you understood his witty remarks), a tad bit awkward, and a happy, bubbly, fun-loving guy.

I focused my eyes back on the TV, watching about three more minutes of a cartoon before the doorbell rang. Demyx sat up and handed me twenty dollars. "Hey, can you get that? I'll get us some plates and soda. Any requests?"

"Pepsi?" I asked, putting the twenty in my pocket. He nodded and disappeared into the kitchen. I could hear a loud bang, followed by a crash.

"Sorry!" He yelled, followed by a pained "Shit!" and a relieved "Found it..."

I couldn't help but laugh at his sounds as I walked to the large, double-door front doors. Through the small silhouette in the window, I could see a short person carrying a tray of some sort. I opened the door, not to find a pizza guy and Demyx's order, but a small, blond guy and a plate of cookies. "Uhm, hey…" He said shyly with a sugary sweet smile.

"Hi," I responded, looking at his flawless face. Although he was short (but being six-foot-one skewed my perspective of height) and very slender, you could tell he was about sixteen. He had a healthy tan, given his residence on a sunny beach, rosy cheeks and golden blond hair that framed his round yet slender face in long sweeps.

"I, uh, heard that Mr. Fair and Mrs. Gainsborough had their nephew come and live with them, so my mother sent me over here with a plate of cookies." He gave me another insecure smile and handed over the yellow plate with at least a few dozen chocolate chip cookies. I looked straight in his eyes, the blueness so insurmountable to achieve, but lined with such a ghostly white aura.

"Axel, did I give you enough money for-" Demyx called, walking towards the foyer. He froze mid-sentence, looking at the guy beside me with a skeptical and shocked expression. "Roxas Strife? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, hey, uhh…" Roxas – such an obscure name for such a beautiful person – started, clearly not knowing Demyx's name.

"Demyx Gainsborough? Aerith and Zack's adopted son? Your neighbor for the past twelve years?" Demyx hinted not-so-subtly to Roxas, who clearly still didn't recognize him.

"Oh, right. Sorry." He apologized quickly, still unconvinced, already turning back to me. "Anyway, Axel, is it?" I nodded, and he smiled before continuing. "Axel, I just wanted to welcome you to Destiny Islands. It really isn't such a bad place, if you really keep your mind wide open."

"Thanks," I said, still lingering over the first impression I felt for this guy.

"Well, I'll, uhh, see you around," And like that, he turned on his heel. Right when I started shutting the door behind him, he spun back around. "Wait!" I widened the door again and he laughed, almost embarrassed. "I almost forgot. There's gonna be a talent show fundraiser tomorrow and I was wondering if you'd come." Roxas probably saw my expression: wanting to go, but not sure if I could. He kept trying to persuade me in a sing-song voice. "C'mon… It'll be fun. And for hungry children."

Before I had a chance to accept or decline, Demyx butted in. "I'm _in _the talent show. My parents are already going. I'm sure Axel will be there." Roxas looked from Demyx then to me, his orbs lighting up when our eyes locked.

"Well, cool. Bye." Roxas added quickly with a laugh before leaving for good.

"Bye now! And thanks for the cookies!" Demyx sarcastically hissed in a nice voice, waving over my shoulder as I shut the door. Once the door clicked shut and locked the bolts, Demyx's pseudo-smile shut off instantly. "How do you know Roxas Strife? I've been his neighbor for over twelve years and I don't even get an invitation to a birthday, much less the biggest charity event this year."

"I don't know, but he seemed to know about me first." I shrugged, pulling a cookie out from under the plastic wrap.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Demyx tsk-ed, swiping the cookie from me while it was centimeters from my mouth. "_My _cookies now! You get the invitation and social connections, I get the tasty, cavity-inducing sweets."

I rolled my eyes at him before going to sit back on the couch. "So what do you know about Roxas Strife?"

"What do I know?" Demyx repeated, joining me on the couch and handing me a cookie before popping one of his own in his mouth. "It's more like, what do I _not _know? Well, first off, he's the most popular and envied person on Destiny Islands. I can't imagine why, though. He's blond and athletic – a total airhead, if you ask me. Anyway, he's our neighbor, just next door. He's head of the social chair at school, a varsity swim team member, eye candy to boys and girls alike…" He seemed to think of some more things. "Oh, and _Marluxia Greene's _boyfriend."

"Marluxia?" I laughed at that name. "What kind of faggot's name is that?"

Demyx joined me in my laughter. "He's a man-douche – an infamous playboy. He sleeps with anyone and everything, but ever since Roxas has been with him, for about two years, he's transformed into some handsome gentleman. People actually think he's changed. Though, he and his buddies still take time to harass the shit outta me. But I still maintain that he shaves his chest. Anyway, why? _Interested?_" He poked me with a teasing voice.

I almost died laughing at the thought of some hunk shaving his bare chest. After the amusement wore off, I sighed and folded my hands over my stomach. "Well, I don't think Roxas is my type, anyway."

"And why not?"

"I dunno…" I shrugged, kicking my feet onto the coffee table in front of me. "Roxas has lived his whole life in this beauty and comfort. And I come from the Mainland, probably the most polar opposite from this life here. Besides, if he figures out my past, then he'd assume I'm some bloodthirsty criminal like the rest of my family."

Demyx pondered at this in silence, his legs pulled to his chest and his chin sitting on top of his knees. "Well, think of it this way: Zack is your uncle, right? And your whole life, you've been told that your dad was an only child. Then after the accident, you find out that your dad has a brother who is a wealthy and successful lawyer and is married to the richest, most beautiful woman alive." He paused for a moment, letting this sink in. "So, there's bound to be good in you. And if someone can't find it, then they're honestly not worth it."

I looked up at him with a disgusted face. "Are you _serious?_" He stiffened, afraid that he insulted me or something. As his mouth shaped to express his apologies, I threw a pillow him hard, knocking him of the couch. My face melted into a happy smile and a cocky laugh escaped my lips. "Thanks, Dem. I appreciate it."

The doorbell rang again and he stood up, fixing his hair. "I'll get it. Let's see how many other friends you made." As I got up to join him, he motioned for me to stay. "Whoa, Simba. Down boy! I'll get it myself…" His words slowed down as he crept towards me. Within a blink of an eye, he placed a small slap across my cheek and ran in the opposite direction, answering the door. I joined him and handed off the money in my pocket before taking the two large, red boxes steaming with pizza goodness.

As Demyx passed by me in the kitchen, he held up his hands to guard himself. Without turning around to face him, I placed a slice of pepperoni pizza on my plate and grabbed a Pepsi from the fridge beside me. "I know where you sleep, Demyx."

I woke up in my bed, boxes still needing to be unpacked surrounding me. A morning sunlight stung my eyes, jolting me awake. The night before, I remembered, I just ate, watched TV, then went to sleep. As I sat up and kicked off the red comforter, memories of that beautiful voice, cookies, and Roxas came flooding back to me. A knock came at my door before it slowly opened. Aerith, wearing a light pink sundress and her silky brunette hair in a long braid, came in and smiled at me. "Oh, good morning. I didn't know you'd be awake. Anyway, you, Demyx, and I are going to go shopping today. We're leaving in twenty minutes."

In nineteen and a half, I managed to shower, throw on some clothes – a plain white t-shirt and dark jeans – and eat the cinnamon roll Aerith left for me on my desk. As I came downstairs, Demyx and Aerith were both waiting for me. Demyx looked the same as the night before, this time wearing a pair of black aviator sunglasses on his forehead, looking about ready to slip down any moment, and purple shirt with **IX** on the chest. He was leaning against the door, bored out of his head. Once he saw me coming down the stairs, his eyes lit up. "Good morning, Lollipop. Sleep well?"

"Very," I laughed easily, turning to Aerith. Like Demyx, she had a pair of white sunglasses on her head, tucked safely in her thick, soft hair. An expensive white purse was hanging off her shoulder and she had a set of keys in her hand. "So where are we going?"

"Well-" She started before Demyx interrupted.

"We need to get you a suit for tonight because, apparently, we have to get dressed up like monkeys for these Pod People in order to fit in and do good deeds in our society." He sneered with a pout.

"That," Aerith butted in, giving Demyx a loving nudge to the face. "And get you some more clothes and things for your room. W also need to get you some soap, a toothbrush, and underpants."

"Mom," Demyx said sternly, "Don't say 'underpants.'"

I laughed at Demyx's slightly mortified face as Aerith rolled her eyes and opened the front door. "Shot gun!" Demyx shouted, running full speed to the shiny, silver car only a few feet away. I climbed into the back where the noon sun warmed up the leather seats and boiled the air in the car. Aerith ignited the engine and rolled down the windows to let in the summer's drift. As soon as the engine was cut on, Demyx plugged in what looked to be an iPod and selected a song I never heard of. He leaned forward to turn up the volume, escalating the notes of many different instruments blending together in one song. We pulled out of the driveway and passed by a few more houses on our street, then onto a road that led off onto a wide road. On one side was a cliff-like wall and on the other was a steep drop before it hit the beach. I could see many different people lounging and enjoying the sun: a group of muscular guys playing a shirtless game of basketball, teenage girls crisping and browning under the bright sun, parents watching their children build sand castles, surfers riding the waves effortlessly before crashing deep into the crystal clear water.

It took me a while before I realized we were driving down a bridge, farther and farther away from the residential island. I looked forward to see a more urban setting on top of another island only a few miles from the first. It wasn't large, but you could see street-lined shops and restaurants, tall but not sky-scraper tall buildings, and a pier stretched from the island, holding more sea-side shops and cafes. Boats were bobbing and floating in the calm waters, drifting with the current.

"_Mommy, some day, I'm going to sail the world and bring you back the prettiest seashells I can find!"_

"_That sounds like a wonderful idea, Axel! You can do whatever you want to do!"_

"_Are you kidding! The kid is stupid and weak and has no hope for the rest of his life! Don't fill up his fucking head with lies like that! Honestly, Christine!"_

"_David, don't you dare talk about my son that way!"_

"_Your son! He's _our _son! And if you would've crossed your legs in high school, maybe we wouldn't have to deal with him!"_

"_No! He's _my _son ever since you ran off with that stripper! And he's going to do great things some day, so leave him alone!"_

"_How can you defend the kid! When you're drunk, you don't even recognize him!"_

"Axel? We're here." Aerith said, standing outside my window. I couldn't see her eyes through her sunglasses, but her mouth expressed much concern.

"What?" I asked, blinking fast. My surroundings were dark and concrete, finally picked up that we were in a parking garage.

"We've been waiting for you and you've been sitting there for the past six minutes and three seconds." Demyx said, looking up from his watch.

"Oh," I unbuckled my seatbelt then got out. "Right. Where to first?"

"Well, we're going to get you your suit for tonight. Demyx ruined all his," She punctuated that statement by shooting a deathly glare right at him. Demyx only gave a sheepish grin and a shrug of his shoulders. "So we have to get you one of your own. Besides, you're taller and slimmer, so they won't fit." This was true. While Demyx was a very slender guy and exceptionally tall himself, I still was a little more bony and a few inches taller.

Demyx and I trailed slowly behind Aerith who guided us down the garage, each space filled with a shiny, new car nicer than the next. We crossed a sky bride, looking below at all the cars going by – teenage girls piled in convertibles – and the people on the street – more teenagers and young adults carrying shopping bags from a variety of stores, most of them in a different "sophisticated" language. We walked into the mall, instantly smelling department store perfume testers being abused and food court orders being served. "Alright," Aerith said, glancing around, then pointing to the left. "Nobodies Clothing is this way."

"Nobodies? We're buying a suit at a place called Nobodies?" I asked Demyx with sarcasm.

"Nobodies Clothing – The clothing for Somebodies." He recited almost instantly. I was about to ask what he was talking about, but we came up to a large store with wide windows that displayed suits for men on one side and dresses for women on the other. Underneath the name of the store, right above the entrance, the same tagline Demyx snarked was in bold, neon lettering.

"Wow, that's, uhhh…" I thought for a second as I went in the high class store, following Aerith to the Men's section. "…Clever."

Demyx shook his head with a solemn face and mouthed the words 'No.' I snickered at him before Aerith turned and faced us. "Okay, Axel, come with me and we'll get you measured and fitted. And Demyx, please don't touch anything." It was scary how serious Aerith was. Demyx ignored her, already walking away and flashing a thumbs up without looking back. She giggled under breath and shook her head. "Alright. Axel, hop up on there." She motioned to a pedestal surrounded by mirrors and "flattering" light.

A shorter, darker man holding a yellow measuring tape came out of one the fitting rooms behind me. He held up the tape to my right leg, stretching it from my waist to my ankle. He studied it for a moment before measuring my torso, arm, and diameter. Aerith watched with an unnerving patience. The man stood up and left for a moment before coming back with a basic black suit and white dress shirt. "Here is the one closest to your measurements." He handed it off to me before turning away. "Tie or bow?"

"Uhhh…" My voice showed how clueless I was to the question.

"He'll take the tie, thank you." Aerith said. She looked up at me. "Color for the tie?"

"Is there red?" I asked the man who was waiting with a hidden impatience.

"Why yes, we do. Our store has the widest selection of ties around, all in satin or silk and in every color or pattern imagined." I raised my eyebrows at the man, irritated. _We're already shopping here, _I thought._ We don't need an in-store advertisement, too. _This is why I hated retail. They always worshiped you, the customer, while performing voodoo on you under the cash register.

"Okay, thanks." Aerith smiled, then nudged me into the dressing room. "Go try it on." I complied, closing the thin door behind me. I peeled off my regular clothes and began with the pants, fumbling with the button and belt. The shirt was annoying, having to button up all those buttons for a shirt you'd end up staining. And no matter how loose or tight, the shirt always felt stiff. I put on the jacket, the least complicated piece so far. Exhaling a huge sigh, I opened the door to see a bickering Demyx and Aerith.

"Mo-o-om…" He whined, probably in response to something Aerith said. She looked at him with a surprising amount of annoyance, before noticing me. Her eyes widened and her icy face melted back into her usual warm smile. Demyx let out a laugh before hopping up on the pedestal with me. "Wow, you like _smashing, _man."

"Yes, you look great! Does it fit right?" Aerith didn't take her eyes off of me.

"Yeah, it feels fine," I said, twisting around in the suit. "It's great." Aerith smiled and I turned around to face one of the many mirrors along the wall. As soon as my eyes met with myself, I almost let a gasp slip out. I wasn't tall anymore, but lithe. I wasn't attractive, but handsome. I wasn't rich, but different. It was amazing how fancy clothes could change your self-image so instantly. After looking myself from top to bottom once more, I retreated back into the stall to change.

I emerged minutes later, the suit draped over my arm. Aerith was holding the red tie, all folded neatly in a small box, and took the suit from me. "Here, I'll get this paid for. I have to pick up a few things for Zack and me, anyway. You guys go and shop, get some more clothes, go look around, and we'll meet up again for lunch before heading home."

"Ooh, I want pizza!" Demyx giggled – that's right, he giggled.

"You had pizza last night!" Aerith said, clearly not in a pizza mood.

"But I want_ more _pizza. New pizza. Different pizza…" His voice drifted off as he walked away, clearly winning that argument.

Aerith rolled her eyes before looking at me. "Keep an eye on him, please. He's… I don't know what he is."

"It's simple: He's Demyx." We both looked over at him, who was standing in the main section of the mall, his hands in his pockets.

She laughed at this before opening her purse and pulling out her wallet, which matched the purse and was just as expensive, I bet. "Here," Her fingers sifted through bills of money before pulling out two-hundred dollars. "Money for whatever you need."

I was amazed. I have never even _seen _that much money before, let alone spend it, and she was handing it out like candy. The cheap kind of candy. "Oh no, couldn't…" As hard as it was, I rejected the money.

"I insist. You need some stuff, so go get it," She offered it again, but I still shook my head. She sighed before raising an eyebrow. "You know… If you don't take it, then I'll have to go with you, while holding your hand while you eat an ice cream cone, and pick everything out _for _you," I tried to look unbothered by this. "Oh, I saw the _perfect _sparkly dress on our way in. It had flowers and was pink and came with a matching-"

"Okay," I stopped her, giving in. "I'll go." She smiled a successful smile and I tried to ignore it. I reluctantly took the money and joined Demyx in the mall. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." He muttered as we walked down the _huge _mall. The mall itself was four stories tall, not counting the basement area that had what looked to be shoes and shoes only. Certain store looked expensive and exclusive, so I managed to steer clear of those. The other mall back on the mainland was mostly second-hand shops and a cheap department store and a fast-food food court. Here, on the Islands, were sushi bars and Greek delis and even a steak house. Demyx and I strolled down, debating what stores to go in. I desperately needed more clothes, so I was on the lookout for stores that either looked familiar or appealed to me. So far, no luck.

"So, any stores in mind?" Demyx asked, stopping at a kiosk that sold belts and belt buckles.

"Nahhh, I always got Reno's hand-me-downs. It was rare for me to ever get something new." Demyx was picking up a black belt with mock sheet music running the length of the belt.

"I like this one. But Reno…" He soaked in that name, trying to remember where he's heard it before. "Isn't he your brother?"

"It's a nice belt, you should get it. Reno is indeed my brother. Although that's something I'm not proud of."

"Why?" He handed the belt to the painfully bored guy who was running the kiosk. "You hate him or something?"

"I don't hate him," I said, noticing a studded red belt. I searched for one that actually fit me. "He's my brother after all. But I wouldn't say we're buddy-buddy."

"What would you say you were, then?" He asked, threading his new belt through his pant loops.

I sighed, giving up on the belt search. Demyx tightened his belt as we walked to the escalators, finding nothing else on this floor. "We were… Complicated, to say the least. He was my father's son after all."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, Reno was a manipulative criminal, just like everyone else in my family. Except Zack. Right now, he's doing time with my dad for stealing a car and cocaine possession. He wants nothing to do with me, since I quit going on his crime sprees with him. But that'll change as soon as he wants something from me." I explained with a stinging venom.

"Oh," Demyx said, looking down. "Sorry 'bout that."

"Eh," I shrugged, shoving the feelings down back into me. "There. We can buy my damn clothes there." I pointed at a store called Clothing Junction, which basically sold overpriced t-shirts that sported surf team logos to landlocked teenagers. It was the most expensive store back on the Mainland, and also the most robbed. Wearing stuff like that to my old school made you the It-Person. I always beat up the people who shopped there, but it was better than every other option.

The store smelled strongly of coconut and tanning oil, the lighting was dim and very cabana-like, the check-out counter was made from a surfboard, and there were monitors that showed real-time, round the clock videos of real beaches. The one in this store was recording a beach on the other side of the world, despite a _real _beach about a mile from here. Idiots. Demyx let me browse on my own, with the occasional time he held up a bikini to himself and did a very feminine twirl. I laughed at him before putting a thong from the ladies' section on his head. "This is stupid," I muttered, holding up a pair of jeans that already had holes ripped in them. "Who the hell buys pants that are expensive because they have holes in them?"

"Jeez, man." Demyx laughed, amused by my frustrated confusion. "It's about the iconography, not necessarily the money. I mean, the more holes in your pants, the more pretty and funny and cute and ditzy and blonde and downright stupid you are." He ranted with a laugh.

I rolled my eyes and smiled, picking up a pair of the pants. Just to be safe. I finished browsing, wrapping up with plenty of jeans, a few t-shirts in various pastel colors, and a pair of those brown, organic-looking flip flops to top off the crappy brand I chose. Whatever. They were similar to what I wore anyway. I handed over the money, then received the remaining fifty dollars and three bags. And on the bags? "Candid" shots of half-nude male models with abs that you could grate cheese on. "Where to, now?" Demyx asked as we left the store. He, too, left with a bag, containing his own pair of jeans and a shirt.

"Well, I don't know… How about we-"

"Hey, look. It's your boyfriend." Demyx teased. I rolled my eyes and turned to look. Sure enough, there was Roxas, with a big, muscular dude at his hip. The second guy was pretty – such a weird adjective for a male – with his long, feathery locks that were so light brown, they looked pink. As soon as my eyes went straight back to Roxas, he noticed me and smiled.

The two of them came closer and I could feel Demyx slightly cower beside me. Roxas flashed his straight, white teeth. "Hey Axel."

"Hey," I said back, resisting to take a look at _Marluxia. _I knew it was him because he didn't have hair on his chest.

"Doing a little shopping, I see," He noted, smiling wide as ever at me. I managed to grin back and nod. "So will I see you tonight?"

"Of course," The mall announced something about a lost child, before continuing on with its usual hustle and bustle.

"Hey, uh, Marluxia." Demyx very awkwardly waved at the guy reaching my height, who wearing a white t-shirt with a pair of surfer trunks.

The pink-haired fellow smiled nicely before shutting down into a glare. "Can it, tool."

"Don't talk to him like that," I stepped in, looking Marluxia dead in the eyes. "Or else."

"Or else what?" He laughed so confidently – the kind of laugh I despised. "Whatcha gonna do 'bout it, huh? I know, how 'bout you stop moving in on Roxas. He's clearly taken."

My eye twitched with fury and I stepped closer to him. "Do _not _piss me off."

"Don't make me laugh, dude." Before things could get any more heated, Roxas stepped in, pushing us apart.

"Look, Marluxia, Axel's my friend. So live with it." The last part, he spat out so sharp, it hurt _me. _And it wasn't even aimed at me.

"But, Babe… I just never wanna lose you." Marluxia cooed, to the point where it induced my vomiting reflexes.

"Then _trust _me." Roxas added with a glare, before walking closer towards me. "Sorry about that. So… See you tonight?"

I looked from him, then to Marluxia, then back to Roxas. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

**Okay, I'm glad that's over. It might be rushed, it might not. I'll let you decide. (: Haha, anyway, I worked hard on this and plan on working hard on this for days and weeks to come. I can't guarantee the next update, but it will be soon and it will be uploaded when it's ready. Until then, you can pass time by reviewing. Or reading my other, uh, stories. **

**Hint, hint.**

**Haha, but seriously, consider it. ;) Anyway, I'm going to watch some TV and eat dinner. At midnight. Because I spent all day finishing up this chapter. Oh yeah, who wouldn't want to review commitment that strong. Hah. **

**By the way, the store, Clothing Junction, is basically Hollister with a different name. For all you Hollister-wearing readers, it's okay. I wear Hollister. I was making fun of myself – not you. :3 Oh, and the song the mysterious voice sings is one of the most saddest (whoa, I'm pretty sure that was a serious grammar error) and my most favorite songs. Lastly, Marluxia/Roxas is the worst idea created. But I needed a really attractive, tall character who wasn't Axel. Go figure.**

**Well… Uh… Go review this story or something. Hah, love you all. Especially those still reading at this point. **


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